Consett Under-18s were in action tonight in the FA Youth Cup, and did themselves and the club proud, despite losing 4-1 to a strong South Shields side at Belle View Stadium.

The young Steelmen – represented by Gavin Scott’s Consett Bulls team – were up against a Mariners side who reached the 3rd Round proper of the competition last season.

And although they were well beaten in the end, they took the game to their opponents, taking the lead in the 15th minute through Will Gallagher, who fired home the rebound, pictured top, after the Shields keeper made a save.

The lead lasted just six minutes, as Charlie McLeod ran onto a long ball over the top and beat the keeper to it to make it 1-1.

Two minutes before the break Harvey Neary made it 2-1 to South Shields and that’s the way it stayed at the break.

Consett’s best chance of an equaliser came in the 58th minute when they brought a fine save from the keeper, but two minutes later Shields were firmly in control when they grabbed a third goal through Oscar Taylor.

The young Steelmen had a decent penalty appeal refused, which might have given them a foothold back in the game, but Taylor’s second goal in the 81st minute wrapped up the win for the visitors.

When the final whistle went it was South Shields who progressed to a tie against North Shields in the next round.

But their opponents battled to the end and made them work for their win in front of a three-figure crowd which included Consett manager Terry Mitchell and his assistant Graeme Coulson, who have had several of the Bulls players training with the first team.

Consett: 1 Ciaran Ure, 2 Lewis Lorraine, 3 Ellis Swinburn, 4 Kieran Scott (captain), 5 David Richardson, 6 Flynn Brass, 7 Jamie Nash, 8 Tom Eglin, 9 Will Gallagher, 10 Jacob Kennyford, 11 Jamie Edmunds. Subs: Joe Bambrick, Dan Walker, Will Tubman, Craig Megson, Micah Benjamin, Matty Heywood.